The University of Johannesburg hosted a Haitian National Flag Day celebration on Monday, a commemoration of the establishment of the world's first independent black republic after the 1803 revolution.
The blue-and-red flag that was first hoisted high on May 18, 1803, during the Haitian Revolution, marking the emergence of the world’s first independent black republic, was celebrated on Monday in Johannesburg.
Haitian National Flag Day was also observed in other major diaspora hubs around the globe, such as New York, Florida and Massachusetts.
Giving a toast at a ceremony hosted by the University of Johannesburg, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola said South Africa and Haiti shared a common heritage of resilience, resistance and the unwavering commitment to human dignity.
He said Haiti became a symbol of liberation and hope for oppressed peoples of the world in the 19th century, and South Africa’s transition to democracy in 1994 became a “beacon of possibility for justice and equality” on the African continent and beyond.
